Below the surface

By Robert van Rixtel26-06-2018

Below the surface: archaeological finds from the North/South lineOn Wednesday 13 June 2018 the results of the archaeological research were presented that took place for fifteen years during the construction of the North/South line in Amsterdam. This metro line follows the bed of the river Amstel. Under the instruction of municipal archaeologist Jerzy Gawronski the Amsterdam archaeologists have in the construction sites of the North/South line on the Damrak and Rokin done almost 700,000 finds. These finds, ‘stuff’ that through the ages the inhabitants of Amsterdam used to throw in the river Amstel, narrate the history of Amsterdam.

On the website Belowthesurface.amsterdam, 20,000 of these finds are shown. Fabrique was responsible for the visual design and UX design and technical partner Q42 for the realization. As a visitor, with these finds you can put together exhibitions yourself and share these on the Internet. The ‘stuff’ can be viewed on the website, in display cases at the Rokin metro station, in the photo catalogue ‘Spul’ (‘Stuff’) and in the documentary ‘Amstel, spiegel van de stad’. (Amstel, mirror of the city’).

More than 20,000 archaeological finds are shown accompanied by background data on the use, material, origin and dating. The timeline that begins before our era and runs until 2005, enables the spectator to take big leaps in time in this huge collection and watch toys from the 15th century as well as toys from the 18th century or a little plastic pistol from our time. View the found ‘stuff’ and put together your own display case on Belowthesurface. amsterdam.